A mild and effective method is described for C-11-labeling of peptides selectively at the N-terminal nitrogen or at internal lysine positions. The presented method relies on the use of specific biphosphine palladium-methyl complexes and their high reactivity towards amino-carbonylation of amine groups in the presence [C-11] carbon monoxide. The protocol facilitates the production of native N-C-11-acetylated peptides, without any structural modifications and has been applied to a selection of bioactive peptides.

The reaction of a phospha-Wittig–Horner reagent with diacetylenic ketones (see scheme) results in a cascade of reactions that can lead to both an oxaphosphole-terminated cumulene system and an alkene-bridged bis-phosphole. The reaction outcome is determined by the nature of the acetylene termini, with phenyl groups stabilizing a carbene intermediate that dimerizes to give the bis-phosphole product.

On the double: Dimerization of monomeric peptide ligands towards the PDZ domains of the protein PSD-95 (postsynaptic density 95) leads to potent inhibitors of protein-protein interactions with stability in blood plasma. Optimization of the length of the polyethylene glycol linker results in unprecedented affinity for inhibitors of the PDZ1-2 domain.

Heparan sulfate (HS) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) glycosaminoglycans (GAG) are proteoglycan-associated polysaccharides with essential functions in animals. They have been studied extensively by genetic manipulation of biosynthetic enzymes, but chemical tools for probing GAG function are limited. HS and CS possess a conserved xylose residue that links the polysaccharide chain to a protein backbone. Here we report that, in zebrafish embryos, the peptide-proximal xylose residue can be metabolically replaced with a chain-terminating 4-azido-4-deoxyxylose (4-XylAz) residue by administration of UDP-4-azido-4-deoxyxylose (UDP-4-XylAz). UDP-4-XylAz disrupted both HS and CS biosynthesis and caused developmental abnormalities reminiscent of GAG biosynthesis and laminin mutants. The azide substituent of protein-bound 4-XylAz allowed for rapid visualization of the organismal sites of chain termination in vivo through bioorthogonal reaction with fluorescent cyclooctyne probes. UDP-4-XylAz therefore complements genetic tools for studies of GAG function in zebrafish embryogenesis.

Cold as ice: Molecular dynamics simulation provides snapshots of a melting ice crystal (see picture). The laser pulse heats up the system, and the energy is absorbed in the OH bonds. After a few picoseconds, the energy is transferred to rotational and translational energy, causing the crystal to melt. The melting starts as a nucleation process, and even long after the first melting is initialized, pockets of crystalline structures can be found.

For enzyme activity, an exact structural and motional orchestration of the active site and its surroundings is believed to be key. In order to reveal such possible phenomena at atomic resolution on the basis of experimental evidence, an experimental restraint driven two-state ensemble of the prototypical enzyme cyclophilin was determined by using a recently introduced exact NOE approach. The ensemble description reveals the presence of an open and a closed state of cyclophilin, which is indicative of large-scale correlated motion. In the open state, the catalytic site is preorganized for catalysis, thus suggesting the mechanism of action to be conformational sampling, while the ligand-binding loop appears to act through an induced fit mechanism. This finding is supported by affinity measurements of a cyclophilin designed to be more open. Overall, more than 60-70 % of the side-chain conformations of cyclophilin appear to be correlated.

The cyclic depsipeptide FR900359 (FR), isolated from the tropical plant Ardisia crenata, is a strong and selective inhibitor of Gq proteins, making it an indispensable pharmacological tool to study Gq-related processes, as well as a promising drug candidate. Gq inhibition is a novel mode of action for defense chemicals and crucial for the ecological function of FR, as shown by in vivo experiments in mice, its affinity to insect Gq proteins, and insect toxicity studies. The uncultured endosymbiont of A. crenata was sequenced, revealing the FR nonribosomal peptide synthetase (frs) gene cluster. We here provide a detailed model of FR biosynthesis, supported by in vitro enzymatic and bioinformatic studies, and the novel analogue AC-1, which demonstrates the flexibility of the FR starter condensation domains. Finally, expression of the frs genes in E. coli led to heterologous FR production in a cultivable, bacterial host for the first time.

(Pinacolato)boryl ortho-silyl(hetero)aryl triflates are presented as a new class of building blocks for arylation. They demonstrate unique versatility by delivering boronate or (hetero)aryne reactivity chemoselectively in a broad range of transformations. This approach enables the unprecedented postfunctionalization of fluoride-activated (hetero)aryne precursors, for example, as substrates in transition-metal catalysis, and offers valuable new possibilities for aryl boronate postfunctionalization without the use of specialized protecting groups.

Crossing a barrier: Molecules with saturated ER2 units (E=C or Si, R=electron-releasing group) inserted between two π-conjugated segments have electronic and optical properties that resemble those of cross-conjugated molecules (see figure). This cross-hyperconjugation provides a deeper understanding of the conjugation phenomenon, and is an alternative to cross-conjugation in the design of molecules for nano and materials applications.

Convincing evidence for the presence of a nitrogen atom in the dithiolate bridge of the active site of native [FeFe] hydrogenases (B) is provided by a spectroscopic, electrochemical, and theoretical study of a well-characterized structural mimic of the [FeFe] hydrogenase subcluster (picture: 14N matched-HYSCORE spectrum of the model compound A). This result should help to understand the mechanism of dihydrogen conversion and production.

While metabolites derived from gut microbiota metabolism have been linked to disease development in the human host, the chemical tools required for their detailed analysis and the discovery of biomarkers are limited. A unique and multifunctional chemical probe for mass spectrometric analysis, which contains p-nitrocinnamyloxycarbonyl as a new bioorthogonal cleavage site has been designed and synthesized. Coupled to magnetic beads, this chemical probe allows for straightforward extraction of metabolites from human samples and release under mild conditions. This isolation from the sample matrix results in significantly reduced ion suppression, an increased mass spectrometric sensitivity, and facilitates the detection of metabolites in femtomole quantities. The chemoselective probe was applied to the analysis of human fecal samples, resulting in the discovery of four metabolites previously unreported in this sample type and confirmation of the presence of medically relevant gut microbiota-derived metabolites.

In tandem: Employing a molecular dyad and a cobalt-based electrolyte gives a threefold-increase in open-circuit voltage (VOC) for a p-type NiO device (VOC=0.35 V), and a fourfold better energy conversion efficiency. Incorporating these improvements in a TiO2/NiO tandem dye-sensitized solar cell (TDSC), results in a TDSC with a VOC=0.91 V

Highly flexible proteins present a special challenge for structure determination because they are multi-structured yet not disordered, so their conformational ensembles are essential for understanding function. Because spectroscopic measurements of multiple conformational populations often provide sparse data, experiment selection is a limiting factor in conformational refinement. We have developed an approach using molecular simulations and information theory to select which experiments best refine conformational ensembles. We test this approach on three flexible proteins. For proteins where a clear mechanistic hypothesis exists, we systematically identify experiments that test this hypothesis. When available data do not yield such mechanistic hypotheses, we identify experiments that significantly outperform structure-guided approaches in conformational refinement. Our approach offers a particular advantage when refining challenging, underdetermined protein conformational ensembles.

The combination of conventional transition-metal-catalyzed coupling (2e(-) process) and photoredox catalysis (1e(-) process) has emerged as a powerful approach to catalyze difficult cross-coupling reactions under mild reaction conditions. Reported is a palladium carbodicarbene (CDC) complex that mediates both a Suzuki-Miyaura coupling and photoredox catalysis for C-N bond formation upon visible-light irradiation. These two catalytic pathways can be combined to promote both conventional transition-metal-catalyzed coupling and photoredox catalysis to mediate C-H arylation under ambient conditions with a single catalyst in an efficient one-pot process.

Many intrinsically disordered proteins fold upon binding to other macromolecules. The secondary structure present in the well-ordered complex is often formed transiently in the unbound state. The consequence of such transient structure for the binding process is, however, not clear. The activation domain of the activator for thyroid hormone and retinoid receptors (ACTR) is intrinsically disordered and folds upon binding to the nuclear coactivator binding domain (NCBD) of the CREB binding protein. A number of mutants was designed that selectively perturbs the amount of secondary structure in unbound ACTR without interfering with the intermolecular interactions between ACTR and NCBD. Using NMR spectroscopy and fluorescence-monitored stopped-flow kinetic measurements we show that the secondary structure content in helix1 of ACTR indeed influences the binding kinetics. The results thus support the notion of preformed secondary structure as an important determinant for molecular recognition in intrinsically disordered proteins.

Herein, we report use of [Li+@C-60]TFSI- as a dopant for spiro-MeOTAD in lead halide perovskite solar cells. This approach gave an air stability nearly 10-fold that of conventional devices using Li+TFSI-. Such high stability is attributed to the hydrophobic nature of [Li+@C-60]TFSI- repelling moisture and absorbing intruding oxygen, thereby protecting the perovskite device from degradation. Furthermore, [Li+@C-60]TFSI- could oxidize spiro-MeOTAD without the need for oxygen. The encapsulated devices exhibited outstanding air stability for more than 1000h while illuminated under ambient conditions.

The introduction of a simple methyl substituent on the bipyridine ligand of [Ru(tBu(3)tpy)(bpy)(NCCH3)](2+) (tBu(3)tpy = 4,4',4''-tri-tert-butyl-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine; bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) gives rise to a highly active electrocatalyst for the reduction of CO2 to CO. The methyl group enables CO2 binding already at the one-electron reduced state of the complex to enter a previously not accessible catalytic cycle that operates at the potential of the first reduction. The complex turns over with a Faradaic efficiency close to unity and at an overpotential that is amongst the lowest ever reported for homogenous CO2 reduction catalysts.

How much iron does it take? Mononuclear complexes [FeII(3,6-R2bdt)(CO)2(PMe3)2] (bdt=1,2-C6H4(S−)2; R=H, Cl) can be reversibly protonated at the sulfur ligands, can catalyze the electrochemical reduction of protons, and are thus minimal functional models of the [FeFe] hydrogenases (see scheme). DFT calculations show that cleavage of an FeS bond leads to the generation of a free coordination site, which is crucial for the formation of hydrides that are key intermediates in the generation of hydrogen.

Regenerable, multifunctional ebselenol antioxidants were prepared that could quench peroxyl radicals more efficiently than -tocopherol. These compounds act as better mimics of the glutathione peroxidase enzymes than ebselen. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in human mononuclear cells was considerably decreased upon exposure to the organoselenium compounds. At a concentration of 25m, the ebselenol derivatives showed minimal toxicity in pre-osteoblast MC3T3cells.

A liquid microjet was used to obtain oxygen K-edge X-ray absorption and emission spectra of water–acetonitrile mixtures of various compositions. The observed spectral changes are unambiguously related to the increasing number of broken hydrogen bonds with decreasing water concentration, and the hydrogen-bond network of liquid water can thus be addressed on purely experimental grounds without the need for theoretical modeling.

We report a novel electron-rich molecule based on 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (H101). When used as the hole-transporting layer in a perovskite-based solar cell, the power-conversion efficiency reached 13.8% under AM 1.5G solar simulation. This result is comparable with that obtained using the well-known hole transporting material 2,2,7,7-tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9,9-spirobifluorene (spiro-OMeTAD). This is the first heterocycle-containing material achieving >10% efficiency in such devices, and has great potential to replace the expensive spiro-OMeTAD given its much simpler and cheaper synthesis.

Photodegradable hydrogels have emerged as useful platforms for research on cell function, tissue engineering, and cell delivery as their physical and chemical properties can be dynamically controlled by the use of light. The photo-induced degradation of such hydrogel systems is commonly based on the integration of photolabile o-nitrobenzyl derivatives to the hydrogel backbone, because such linkers can be cleaved by means of one-and two-photon absorption. Herein we describe a cytocompatible click-based hydrogel containing o-nitrobenzyl ester linkages between a hyaluronic acid backbone, which is photodegradable in the presence of cells. It is demonstrated for the first time that by using a cyclic benzylidene ketone-based small molecule as photosensitizer the efficiency of the two-photon degradation process can be improved significantly. Biocompatibility of both the improved two-photon micropatterning process as well as the hydrogel itself is confirmed by cell culture studies.

EPR spectroscopy reveals the formation of two different semi-synthetic hydrogenases invivo. [FeFe] hydrogenases are metalloenzymes that catalyze the interconversion of molecular hydrogen and protons. The reaction is catalyzed by the H-cluster, consisting of a canonical iron-sulfur cluster and an organometallic [2Fe] subsite. It was recently shown that the enzyme can be reconstituted with synthetic cofactors mimicking the composition of the [2Fe] subsite, resulting in semi-synthetic hydrogenases. Herein, we employ EPR spectroscopy to monitor the formation of two such semi-synthetic enzymes in whole cells. The study provides the first spectroscopic characterization of semi-synthetic hydrogenases invivo, and the observation of two different oxidized states of the H-cluster under intracellular conditions. Moreover, these findings underscore how synthetic chemistry can be a powerful tool for manipulation and examination of the hydrogenase enzyme under invivo conditions.

Circulating nucleic acids, such as short interfering RNA (siRNA), regulate many biological processes; however, the mechanism by which these molecules enter the cell is poorly understood. The role of extracellular-matrix-derived polymers in binding siRNAs and trafficking them across the plasma membrane is reported. Thermal melting, dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, and computational analysis indicate that hyaluronic acid can stabilize siRNA via hydrogen bonding and Van der Waals interactions. This stabilization facilitated HA size- and concentration-dependent gene silencing in a CD44-positive human osteosarcoma cell line (MG-63) and in human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs). This native HA-based siRNA transfection represents the first report on an anionic, non-viral delivery method that resulted in approximately 60% gene knockdown in both cell types tested, which correlated with a reduction in translation levels.

Nanozymes with a heart of gold: A functional artificial protein has been prepared by grafting a dodecapeptide onto the surface of gold nanoparticles (see picture). The system catalyzes the hydrolysis of carboxylate esters and features enzyme-like properties. (Figure Presented).

A new class of small molecules, with an unprecedented trifluorothiazoline scaffold, were synthesized and their pro-apoptotic activity was evaluated. With an EC50 in the low micromolar range, these compounds proved to be potent inducers of apoptosis in a broad spectrum of tumor cell lines, regardless of the functional status of p53. Fast structure-activity relationship studies allowed the preparation of the strongest apoptosis-inducing candidate. Using a high performance affinity purification approach, we identified prohibitins 1 and 2, key proteins involved in the maintenance of cell viability, as the targets for these compounds.

A strong correlation is found between the propensity of individual amino acids to induce peptide-bond cleavage in the gas phase (PAA-XX) and their structure-forming propensity (PS, red) and H-bond-accepting propensity (PH, blue). Thus, the same fundamental parameter, carbonyl group basicity, governs the formation of secondary protein structures in solution and directs fragmentation in the gas phase. (Graph Presented).

High-affinity binders for the C-reactive protein (CRP), with dissociation constants in the pM to nM range and selectivities in human serum comparable to those of antibodies, were obtained by conjugation of 16 designed polypeptides to phosphocholine, a small molecule that binds CRP with a KDvalue of 5I . The polypeptides were not designed specifically to recognize CRP and bind by an adapted fit mechanism.

Creating efficient artificial catalysts that can compete with biocatalysis has been an enduring challenge which has yet to be met. Reported herein is the synthesis and characterization of a series of zinc complexes designed to catalyze the hydrolysis of phosphate diesters. By introducing a hydrated aldehyde into the ligand we achieve turnover for DNA-like substrates which, combined with ligand methylation, increases reactivity by two orders of magnitude. In contrast to current orthodoxy and mechanistic explanations, we propose a mechanism where the nucleophile is not coordinated to the metal ion, but involves a tautomer with a more effective Lewis acid and more reactive nucleophile. This data suggests a new strategy for creating more efficient metal ion based catalysts, and highlights a possible mode of action for metalloenzymes.